This invention generally relates to light weight metal alloys and more particularly to an alloy of the formula Li.sub.x B.sub.l-x wherein 0&lt;x&lt;1 and x is the atomic fraction of lithium.
For many uses it is desirable to have intermetallic alloys which are extremely light in weight, low in atomic number, have high melting points, are ductile, malleable, machineable and structurally strong. Beryllium has been used because it meets many of these requirements. However, beryllium metal, by nature, is too brittle and toxic and is therefore difficult to handle. Thus, a search has gone on for other materials which can take the place of beryllium and which do not have the same disadvantages as beryllium.
In this regard attempts have been made to prepare metallic lithium-boron alloys. Thus, Markowskii and Kondraskev at Zh. Neorgen Khim., Volume 2, pages 34-41 (1957), Secrist et al, U.S. Atomic Energy Comm. and French Pat. No. 1,461,878, have all attempted to prepare metallic lithium-boron alloys. In all of these cases, however, dark powders of undetermined composition were obtained. These powders were inorganic compounds which could not be utilized as structural material because of the lack of the characteristics of metals. It is believed that all of these previous attempts to prepare metallic Li--B alloys results in the borides rather than true metal alloys. The reasons for this will hereinafter be discussed. Thus, research has been conducted in an attempt to find a method of preparing metallic Li--B alloys.